Two Ways To Wipe Data From A Stolen Laptop And Cell Phone

There's a lot of buzz about stolen laptops and worries about the theft of personal data. Seems like veterans and travelers risk having their credit cards and other personal information spread around the internet, with criminals going on spending sprees with those credit cards. These days, with the amount of data that's stored on a small telephone could result in the same disaster if you either lose or someone steals your cell phone.

But the eventuality shouldn't even arise.

There are at least two software products out there that can immediately solve these problems. MIPTC recommends (I have no affiliation with these companies), two programs. First, for laptops, there's Lojack for Laptops, and for cell phones, there's RemotePROTECT.

While Lojack for Laptops is more robust (there's more hard disk space on a laptop) and has more options, both programs generally accomplish the same thing: they lock the device down, preventing unauthorized access to the sensitive data, and if the owner sends an appropriate command, then the software wipes the hard drive, making the laptop/cell phone worthless.

Both programs are inexpensive compared to the amount of damage caused. Lojack for laptops retails under $100 for three years of coverage, and RemotePROTECT is under $25.00 - a one-time charge.

So, if you have sensitive data, then protect it accordingly. You'll be glad you did, and so will the rest of us.